When he dropped "Fish Hunt Golf Drink," it's unlikely that Luke Bryan was expecting such a negative reaction. Unfortunately for the country star, that's exactly what he got, with many fans questioning his lyrics and the content of the track.
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During a recent appearance on Theo Von's "This Past Weekend" podcast, Bryan addressed the negative reaction to his new song.
"It was making guys like - they're in the camera going, 'I hate you.' Like they're looking in the camera and they're like, 'I hate you.,'" Bryan recalled. "And I'm watching it and I'm like, 'I can see your face.'"
Bryan then sent a message back to his critics, especially the vocal minority that likely took their criticism too far.
"If I see you one day, I'm going to f-----g knock the s--t out of you, dude."
Ok, so maybe that's not the best way to address your fans. Still, Bryan has likely received a lot of criticism from bad actors who have jumped on the hype train. There's a difference between constructive criticism and piling on just because it's become popular to do so online.
It's clear that the criticism has hit a nerve with Bryan. However, whenever you make a product for public consumption, there's a chance of negative responses.
Luke Bryan Has Pushed Back on Claims the Song Was Made With AI
Another criticism aimed at Bryan's "Fish Hunt Golf Drink" is that it was either by or with the help of AI. Of course, the country took the opportunity to address those claims on Von's podcast.
"We featured it as an early release on the album," he said. "... and younger kids called it a single. Then ... you get one or two kids with a bunch of Instagram followers that say we AI'd it and then the whole world goes on their narrative."
To make matters worse, Bryan doesn't seem to be sold on the common consensus that there's no such thing as bad publicity.
"I'm not sure I'm happy about a bunch of teenagers telling a 50-year-old man he's a piece of s--t songwriter," Bryan said. "And then I'm like, dude, you're 16. You're talking to a grown man that's made a s--t ton of money doing this."
Hopefully, when Bryan's new album "Signs" drops in mid-September, that criticism will turn to praise, and he can move past this testing moment of his career.
